ARTICLE: Indian Valour in Africa 1941-2

A few months ago I did a piece based on a guidebook to India that was presented to soldiers bound for the sub-continent. It was full of nifty facts and tips on how to avoid gonorrhoea…

ARTICLE: A Blast From the Past

This week, I was ferreting again, this time in Eton, when I found something that I thought would be interesting to place alongside that. Once again, it’s a wartime publication, this time from 1943, but this time, it had a different aim, and a different audience in mind…

Queen Mary had worked herself half to death during the First World War, and now the Queen Mother, she was willing to do the same again come 1939. But this was a different kind of war, with many more risks on the home front, not least the threat of being carpet bombed by the Luftwaffe. To that end, George VI sent his mother to deepest Gloucestershire for the duration of the Second World War. She was extremely pissed about this, and let her feelings be known. Whilst she couldn’t therefore repeat her war work of 1914-1918 she was by no means idol. In fact she railroaded half the population of her corner of Gloucestershire into various activities.

And that’s where this book comes in, because in 1943 it was released to raise funds for the Indian Comforts Fund. A charitable endeavour overseen by its President the Dowager-Viscountess Chelmsford, at the time of publication they were supporting Indian servicemen in myriad ways. For Prisoners-of-War or Internees, three thousand parcels were being dispatched weekly (in bulk to Geneva) for distribution to men of all Services who are imprisoned or interned in Germany, France, or Italy. A similar amount of packages stuffed with clothing etc. were being sent out quarterly to next of kin.

For the Royal Indian Navy: ‘Warm clothing, comforts, games, and recreational facilities are supplied to the Royal Indian Navy as opportunity offers.’ For Indian Seamen:

It is estimated that between 30,000 and 40,000 Indian seamen of the Indian Merchant Service call at our ports yearly. Each man gets a parcel of clothing and comforts suited to needs of deck, saloon, and engine-room crews. Distribution is carried out through Seamen Welfare Officers. Hostels and boarding-houses on shore are helped by grants of money and provision for shower-baths, radiograms, books, etc.

For Indians stationed in England, warm clothing, comforts, games, and recreational facilities were provided, and eve outings organised for leave parties. The fund also provided for the relief of Indians in any position who may be in distress. Then there were the knitters:

There are 1,683 working parties in England, Wales, and Scotland with a total membership of 100,000 knitters, to whom wool is supplied free by the Fund. Working parties are required to return the equivalent weight of wool in knitted garments.

Queen Mary was more than happy to put her name to this sort of effort. In fact, the first thing to be found inside is a letter from her, from one mother to millions of others:

I send this message to the mothers of India’s fighting men:

You are constantly in my thoughts and I know that many of you are anxious, and some are sorrowful, but all are proud of your brave sons. My own dear sons have served in the Navy, Army and Air Force and I share your anxieties, your sorrows, and your pride. I do not forget the patient fortitude of your daughters-in-law and I trust that your gentle care sustains them in this time of trial. I pray that God may bless all gallant Indian soldiers, sailors, and airmen and that in the hour of victory they may return with great honour to their homes and make your hearts glad again.

The book has a run down of the comforts fund, and of the various branches of service in which Indians were serving. There is a whole section at the back that gives some introductory insights into different aspects of Indian culture, but I wanted to share with you the chapter entitled: Tales of Indian Valour on all Fronts…

(IN ACTION IN ERITREA/ A MEMBER OF A SUDANESE CAMEL PATROL ATTACHED TO AN INDIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE)